Prior to the present invention there have not existed commercially practical two-way ratchet wrenches devoid of switches in the way, or switches that have to be moved with pains-taking difficulty, particularly when the person has greasy hands or fingers as is often the case when doing mechanical work on engines or vehicles, etc. For example, there is the U.S. Pat. No. 934,333 to Wicker which has a switch lever that has to be moved between alternate positions, in one position being engageable of one set of ratchet teeth and in the alternate position being engageable with a second alternate set of ratchet teeth, in order to shift between alternately locking against one or the other of clockwise and counter-clockwise movement of the socket. In that patent the switch member, or handle of the switch, is readily knocket to unintentionally shift, as well as being susceptable to being damaged by striking during use. In the U.S. Pat. No. 2,978,081, the mechanism is slightly different and the manipulator or switch lever is supposedly located on an upper face, such that a person uses the socket wrench only in one position, always face-up. As earlier noted, such manipulator is susceptable to being struck when working in tight area spaces having limited maneuvering space. There also is the question in these types of mechanisms discussed above, as to whether or not the switch will possible accidentally shift when subjected to high stresses.